Andy Oxley: Director

A keen skier, Andy has spent the last 10 years ski touring on some of our best high alpine terrain, including the Mannering Glacier, Pioneer Pass and Graham Saddle. That's spring...for the rest of year we keep her locked in the office & chained to the computer to ensure that Aspiring Guides keeps on the straight and narrow. She does ocassionally escape for a spot of tramping and sailing over the summer months when we've got our backs turned!

A recent addition to the team, Andy has come from a business and a local hospitality background. Some of you may remember her cooking you a mean breakfast or two in the past - now she's organising your time in the hills and leaves the good breakfasts to our guides!!

Phil Penney : Senior Guide

There are some things guides don't want, and one of them is to have a climbing guide dedicated to you - usually it only means one thing. But Phil is special and it is quite an honor to have the Mnt. Aspiring Climbing Guide dedicated to him by his long time partner Alan Uren.

Like Phil's personality his distinct blond hair stands out in a crowd. Phil is a senior UIAGM / IFMGA certified guide. Phil's 'bag' flows over with multiple ice & alpine first ascents, an ascent of the Cassin Ridge on Denali (Alaska), traverse of Mount Cook National Park with Al Uren, traverse and ski descents in the Mount Aspiring National Park, traverse of the Darrans mountains.
Phil is one of the foremost adventure guides in NZ and also has a passion for... paragliding, hang-gliding, windsurfing, sailing on his yacht.

Marty is a fully qualified IFMGA international mountain and ski guide. Marty has climbed and guided throughout the world, and is well known in the New Zealand mountaineering scene. Originally from Australia, he adds further to the international flavour of the company.

Marty has guided extensively in the Mount Cook area, and been a climbing instructor for several of the country’s leading outdoor centres, and an Antarctic guide for the USA’s National Science Foundation. A graduate with a Master’s degree in Applied Science, he has developed and taught outdoor leadership programmes both in NZ and overseas.

His long mountaineering career includes ascents of many of the classic climbs of the Southern Alps of New Zealand, including thirteen routes on Mt Cook, eleven separate routes on Mt Hicks, plus climbs of the Balfour and Hidden Balfour Faces of Mt Tasman and the South Face of Douglas. He has also climbed in Alaska, including the sought-after North Buttress of Mt Hunter, the Himalaya where he came close to making the first ascent of a difficult 6,800m peak, and the Caucasus where he guided an ascent of it’s highest peak, Mt Elbrus. He also likes alt. country music.

Aritza Monesterio : Senior Guide and Peru trip leader

Aritza has lived and guided in Peru's Cordillia Blanca for over 25 years and operates a lodge on Huarez. He spends the Peru off season guiding for Aspiring Guides in New Zealand. Aritza pioneered some of the Cordilla Blanca's hardest climbs including the West Face of Chacraraju. More importantly he is know as a tireless guide (it must come from his years at altitude) who is meticulous in his planning and fun to be with in the mountains.

Aritza is trip leader for our Peru climbing and trekking operations

Robyn Brighouse : Administration

After many years of dreaming about mountain climbing Robyn participated in a Mountain Skills Course with Aspiring Guides in 2003. She loved it so much she continued in the same year with a Black Peak Ice Climbing Trip and a summit of Mt Aspiring. In 2004 Robyn travelled to Peru to join an Aspiring Guides expedition in the Cordillera Blanca and summitted Ishinca and Alpamayo. As she was spending so much time in the office Aspiring Guides decided to employ her to help out in the office.

Gavin Lang: Guide

Gavin has come from a varied background to now settle in as a Guide and Operations Manager. After a whirlwind visit to New Zealand in 2000, the ice and rock of the Southern Alps drew Gavin to uproot from Dublin and build a life on the South Island. Initially drawn to the dark depths of many Cave systems all over Europe, Gavin qualified as a Cave leader through the Flemish Speleological society and studied Dutch while based in Belgium. After many years of demanding work as a Glacier Guide in Franz Josef he is happiest when cutting steps like an energizer bunny all the way to the summit. He has made many ascents from the West Coast glaciers which he considers his back garden. Everything about Gavin's steady style inspires trust.

Nick considers the aesthetics of a mountain as important and for his new and challenging routes he has always taken the most elegant line. Nick has climbed and skied around the world for 28 years, 23 years professionally.
1988 NZ Mountaineer of the Year
Highlights include:
Multiple first ascents of the hardest and most technical ice / mixed routes in the Mt Cook and Mt Aspiring National Parks.
1st guided ascents of Sth face Mt Hicks & the Balfour face of Mt Tasman, New Zealand grade 6's. 
Numerous early ascents of routes on El Capitan & Half Dome, Yosemite.
Ascents of Cerro Torre & Fitzroy (x2) (Patagonia), Uli Biaho (Pakistan), Shivling (India), North Buttress of Mt. Hunter (Alaska).
Heli-skiing worldwide: Alaska, Himalayas, Greenland, Chile
14 seasons professional ski guiding (Indian Himalayas)
18 seasons professional ski guiding (New Zealand)
Chief Guide Harris Mountains Heliskiing NZ (10 years)
Mountain Safety Council & Otago Polytechnic Avalanche Course director.

Jim Blyth : Guide

IFMGA Guide Jim Blyth is a member of both the British Mountain Guides and the French Syndicat National de Guides de Montagne. A Scotsman, Jim has been living in France for the past 14 years and since 2000 in the village of Servoz, close to Chamonix. He specialises in ski mountaineering trips to unusual destinations such as Mongolia, Greenland, Lebanon, Russia and Chile to name a few. He also does small scale ice climbing and mountaineering expeditions around the world and traditional summer alpine guiding in the European Alps. Jim has brought his young family with him to New Zealand for 6 months and we are delighted to have him as a member of the Aspiring Guides team for the season.

Simon loves activities such as rock climbing, skiing, telemarking - ski touring, and mountain biking. He is interested in literature and history. He's Australian and has lived in Wanaka, NZ for 7 years. He is a member of the Treble Cone Ski Patrol. Favourite routes in New Zealand: North Shoulder of Mt. Tasman; SW ridge and South face of Mount Aspiring ; South face of Aoraki/Mt Cook; Strauchon Face of Mt. Dilemma ; West Ridge of Mt. Malte Brun ; North Buttress of Mt. Sabre. 40 ascents of Mt Aspiring; 4 ascents Mt Cook

Nick Morgan : Guide

Nick's first season alpine climbing was in NZ in 1992, with a memorable trip up the Murchison Valley, while most of Mt. Cook was being evacuated during floods. This did not deter his passion for spending time in the Southern Alps. Since then he has climbed in Canada, France, Switzerland, Italy, Nepal and India. During this time he has worked, and continues to work as an instructor and trainer for the Outdoor Education Group in Victoria (Australia). He enjoys sharing his passion for the outdoors with people wether it be on foot, in a boat, or on Skis. Memorable moments when guiding, perfect day and conditions on the S-W ridge of Aspiring, and a marrige propsal on the summit of aspiring during howling N-westerlies.

Stefan Sporli : Guide

Stefan was born in NZ to Swiss parents, and grew up playing at the beach and in the snowy mountains of the north island. Stefans career in the mountains was sparked when he set out for the hills on his bicycle, with a backpack and snowboard. Since then he has travelled around the world, working and playing. His professional experience ranges from avalanche forecasting through to fine arts. He loves going on adventures and getting to know people, and thinks that bicycles are a great way of getting around.

James Hamilton : Guide

James was born and bred on the west coast of NZ. 7 years of ski patrolling in the States. 5 years glacier guiding on the Fox glacier. Winter ski guiding in Canada, bugaboos to Rogers Pass Traverse. Climbed several north faces in Canada. Rock climbed in Spain, Thailand, USA, and Canada. In NZ, climbed South face of Douglas twice and skied the south face of Mount Earnslaw. Hobbies, surfing, whitebaiting, snowboarding and chewing the fat.

Mark Woodward : Guide

Mark started climbing in 1992 after spending years always looking at the mountains for ski descents! After 3 years skiing in Europe he settled in Queenstown and has been working as a heliski guide since 1989. Mark became a climbing guide by 1996 and since then he has successfully guided on many NZ peaks, including NZ's highest mountains. International guiding in Canada and the Himalayas. In 1999 he spent 3 months guiding the Canadian Rockies for the Yamnuska Company and in 2000 he summited on Mt McKinley with 2 clients and more recently he's had several successful Mt Everest ascents while guiding (photo May 2007). He loves being in the mountains and would like to share the enjoyment with others and pass on new skills.

Jo Haines : Guide

Jo has been wandering the hills since she was a teenager. As well as years exploring the NZ Southern Alps on transalpine trips and climbing NZ’s well known and less well know peaks, she has been fortunate to have spent time in the Himalaya, on the rock walls in Australia and the USA and hanging out with Emperor penguins in Antarctica. Jobs past and present include instructing at the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre, working in Antarctica and the Himalaya, teaching high school physics and designing websites or working in the mountains around her local town of Wanaka. Back-country telemarking and skate skiing keeps the smile on her face in winter.

Johnny Davison: Guide

Johnny has just returned from a long stint working in Antartica and guiding Denali. He has climbed in NZ, France and Canada.
Established new routes in NZ up to Alpine 6+, as well as on ice and mixed.
Climbed Canadian ice testpieces up to grade WI6+, along with routes such as Sea of Vapours, Pilsner Pillar and Cascade Kronenborg.
Favourite routes include Hydrophobia in Canada, the east ridge of Aoraki / Mt Cook, and anything accessible by the telepherique in Chamonix!
Also enjoys red wine, sunsets, and long walks along the beach....

Lydia Bradey : Guide

Lydia lives in Lake Hawea, near Wanaka. She has climbed Aoraki/Mt Cook 3764m (New Zealand's highest mountain) twice at the age of 18 and was the First Women to climb Mt Everest without oxygen, 1988. Lydia was the First Australasian woman to climb one of the world's fourteen 8000m peaks, Gasherbrum II 8035m, 1987. Also Climbed on seven Himalayan Expeditions and aid climbed ten Big Walls, seven first female ascents, Yosemite Valley, Ca. USA, 1981-82. She's a talented physiotherapist and great dancer too!

Dave Alderson: Guide

Dave, originally from the UK, came to Wanaka for a day whilst travelling around NZ and is still here 4 years later! Captivated by the lake, scenery, southern alps and relaxed atmopshere. Dave worked at the West Coast as an ice climbing guide on Franz Joseph Glacier. Dave enjoys climbing, biking, swimming, running and has been known to do a few multisport events. Dave's been climbing for 25 years and has climbed in America, Africa, Europe as well as some of NZ's alpine ice and rock. One of Dave's talents is the ability to create a gourmet feast from basic staple foods.

Anthea Fisher : Guide

Anthea has travelled, trekked and climbed throughout the world. Countries include Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, India, Europe and Peru. Despite this she says that there is nothing quite like coming back to New Zealand, and in particular the Southern Alps. Anthea, when not traveling spends time leading personal development expeditions in Australia. Designed to bring out the best in people while challenging them in wilderness environments. She gets great satisfaction from taking people to stunning places and seeing their eyes and minds open wide.